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Chilla, Cheela or Pudla are simple Indian breakfast pancakes. These Vegan Chickpea flour Pancakes are crepe like savory breakfast. Add veggies to the batter or serve with roasted veggies and a dip. Gluten-free Soy-free Nut-free Recipe. Jump to Recipe
This is my Mom’s chilla/ cheela recipe. It is also known as pudla. The classic Indian pancake made with besan (which is split chickpea flour) or chickpea flour (white chickpeas ground) is a popular breakfast in North India. These pancakes in the simplest form are easy and perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a side flatbread. For a veggie omelet version, add less water for a thicker batter and add leavening such as baking powder and some kala namak (Indian sulphur black salt) for eggy taste. Add finely chopped vegetables such as zucchini. Serve topped with roasted potato/veggies or avocado and a dressing of choice.
Recipe from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen . Also Read about the differences between besan and chickpea flour here.
Tips for no stick pancakes every time
- The most common problem with these pancakes is that they stick to the pan. Thin batter like this which is like a crepe batter will stick to any pan that is not a good non stick. Use a good non stick skillet or cast iron skillet.
- If it sticks to the non stick pan, then the problem is with the pan. These pancakes are the best test for choosing a non stick skillet :).
- If you cook other things on the skillet, then the non stickness is affected by the stirring, veggies or ingredients. Keep a dedicated pan for pancakes and crepes and use that for these chickpea pancakes.
- Adjust the batter consistency to thin or thick to preference. Indian pancakes are more crepe like and thin for crispy edges. Thicker batter will take longer to cook and will also tend to make dry pancakes if too thick. Add juicy veggies like peppers, zucchini, tomato to counter the dryness.
- To make these oilfree, you would need a good non stick skillet. Store under a kitchen towel and Serve with dips and dressings
Vegan Chickpea flour Pancakes - Besan Chilla
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, or besan (gram flour)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds, ajwain or cumin seeds
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 hot green chile, finely chopped (remove seeds to reduce heat)
- 1/4 cup packed chopped cilantro
- 1 to 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon safflower oil, divided
optional additions:
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini or other vegetables, optional
- 1/8 tsp Indian Black Salt, kala namak
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the chickpea flour and 3/4 cup water. Whisk to get a smooth consistency. Whisk in another 1/2 to 3/4 cup water to make a thin lump-free batter. (If using besan, you will need less water to get the same consistency).
- Add the salt, turmeric, cayenne, carom seeds, onion, chile, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon of oil, and mix well. Add zucchini if using. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, drizzle a few drops of oil on the skillet. Spread the oil using a paper towel. Pour a ladle full (1/4 to 1/3 cup) of the batter onto the skillet. Spread the batter by moving the skillet to make a 6 to 8-inch pancake. Drizzle a few drops of oil on the edges of the pancake.
- Cook until the edges start to leave the pan and the bottom is golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Continue to make the rest of the pancakes. Serve hot with ketchup, chutneys or sriracha. Chilla can also be stuffed with roasted veggies or potatoes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made these today to fill with your garlic potato spinach stir-fry and OMG they are absolutely delicious!! Packed with flavour. I was surprised at how easy they were to make but even more surprised at how hard it was to not eat them as they came off the pan. <3 Immediate addition to my weekly repertoire.
For anyone else reading, I don't have a cast iron pan so I used a frying pan and it worked great!
Thanks, Richa!
Wow – so easy and quick to make! We loved it – finished off the lot in one sitting. Thanks Richa – don’t know why it’s taken me so long to try these. Have a wonderful day!
Thank you for this detailed recipe. My chilla came out perfect and very tasty.
These pancakes are absolutely delicious. Even my picky child who hates veggies loved these! I plan on making these again! Thank you for this tasty recipe. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Yay
These were such a success. I made the batter pretty thin and the moment I ladled them into the pan, I moved it around quickly so it would spread out and had a more interesting shape. I served these with a thicker dal recipe I found with a lot of spinach in it. Was looking for a replacement for rice and naan, and this was it! I’ll will def make these again and often as they so easy to make. Thanks for this recipe 🙂
We didn’t have everything called for in the recipe every time, but we’ve really enjoyed these in every variation.
Thanks for the starting point!
We’ll continue using this often as our food supplies change. The versatility has been so helpful!
Whoops, forgot to rate before.
These came out perfect! Served with dhal fresh coriander, chopped tomato and mango chutney, DELICIOUS!
My.Favorite.Thing.Ever.
Delicious! Far easier to make than “regular” pancakes too!
yay!
I have made these several times now for lunch and the whole family loves them! I never get more than three out of the batter (might be because of my large frying pan) but it doesn’t matter, one big pancake is quite filling. Today I tried adding finely grated courgette (zucchini) and nobody noticed a thing. 😂 These pancakes tick all my boxes!
Awesome! double the recipe!
It’s Pancake Day in Britain today and I’ve just had a couple of these as an early lunch. Very nice and simple. (The idea of pancake day is to use up perishable foods such as eggs before Lent begins, so vegan pancakes don’t really make sense. Who needs sense?)
thanks!
Soooooo delicious, my kids and I devoured them! Thank you!!
awesome!